Police find cash from £53m raid in garage

Detectives investigating the Tonbridge depot robbery have found millions of pounds in a pensioner's garage in a residential street five miles from the scene of the crime. Armed officers hunting the £53m taken in the raid swooped on the lock-up garage behind a row of houses in Sheffield Road, Southborough, on Sunday evening.

Kent's chief constable, Michael Fuller, would not disclose the amount yesterday, but it is believed it could be up to £10m. Residents claim police conducted a major operation, carrying away bags of cash.

Kevin Beal, 41, who rents a garage next to the one police raided, said: "I saw three clear bags of what looked as if it was piles of cash. I'm 99% certain it was money."

Peggy Stapley, 75, who owns the garage and several others nearby, said it was rented to a "close family friend" - whom she would not name - who sublet it to another man. She thought the man was using it to store furniture but noticed him making several "unusual" trips to the garage last Friday. "He always turns up in a white van. I saw him make two or three trips to the garage on Friday alone, but it could have been more."

Mrs Stapley said dozens of officers and forensic teams had been there most of Sunday evening. "I'm just so shocked I can't believe it," she added. The latest find, which is in addition to £11m already recovered, is still being counted.

Before this latest breakthrough, police had already recovered more than £9m from a car repair shop in an industrial estate in Welling, south-east London, £1.3m from a van believed to have been used by the robbers, and about £140,000 from Elderden farm, Staplehurst, Kent, where police carried out an extensive search most of last week.

Speaking at Kent police headquarters in Maidstone yesterday, Mr Fuller said: "Our aim is to ensure no one profits from this crime." He said the inquiry had involved more than 300 Kent police officers and staff, assisted by neighbouring forces, the national criminal intelligence service, and Scotland Yard, whose officers helped carry out the Welling operation. A 43-year-old man arrested there and a 28-year-old arrested in Bexley, south-east London, on Saturday were released on police bail. This brought the total of arrests since the robbery to 17. Four men and a woman have been charged.

Mr Fuller said there had been "attempts to glamorise" the Tonbridge robbery but the huge amount involved should not overshadow the human cost of the raid, during which the depot manager, Colin Dixon, his wife, Lynn, son, Craig and 14 Securitas workers were held hostage.